Gordon hits Bato for not advising Duterte against reinstating Marcos

PNP chief Director General Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa (left) and Senator Richard Gordon. INQUIRER FILE PHOTOS

Senator Richard Gordon slammed Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa for failing to tell President Duterte that reinstating Supt. Marvin Marcos and 18 other cops involved in the murder of Albuera, Leyte Mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr. would be bad for the police force.

“There are cowards around the President who are not telling the truth,” Gordon told reporters in an interview at his office on Thursday.

“Sinabi ‘yan ni Bato noon na galit siya sa ginawa ni Marcos (Bato said in the past that he’s angry at what Marcos did) but he should have stayed the course and he should have told the President,” Gordon said.

“Si Bato, dapat managot,” Gordon added.

(Bato should be held liable for this.)

On the orders of President Duterte, Dela Rosa reinstated Marcos after serving four months of suspension from service. The PNP chief also said it would be a waste not to give Marcos and his men jobs to do while receiving pay from people’s taxes.

Marcos is now the head of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) Soccskargen Region.

“Ang hirap sa PNP hindi nila ina-advise-an ang Presidente. Dapat sinasabi nila na nakakasama sa police force ‘yang ginawa niyang ‘yan,” he added.

(The thing that’s wrong with the PNP is that they don’t advise the President. They should have told him that what he’s doing is detrimental to the police force.)

The senator said President Duterte will be on a “dangerous ground” if his men would continue giving him bad advice.

“They are exploiting his feelings. Ayaw nilang humarap. Ayaw nilang magsabi na, ‘Boss, mali ‘yan’ (They don’t want to face him. They don’t want to say, ‘Boss, that’s wrong’),” Gordon said.

“I respect the President but I must say that people around him should pay him a lot more respect by telling him the truth,” he added.

Gordon also faulted the “incompetent” Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II for downgrading the charges against Marcos’ team from murder to homicide.

“May kahinaan ng ulo ‘yung mga nakapaligid sa kanya. Mukhang hindi nagpractice ng abogasya,” he said.

(The people around him are dull. It seems they don’t practice law.)

“Kung talagang marunong ‘yang si Aguirre, hinayaan nila ang husgado na litisin yan eh. Bakit kailangang pakialaman ng Pangulo? Bakit kailangang pakialaman ni Aguirre ‘yan?” he said.

(If Aguirre really was smart, he’d let the court do its job. Why did the President and Aguirre need to meddle?)

“I’m upset. Disappointed is a very weak word. I’m chagrined. There are many people who are victims of injustice here,” he said. JE